Foundation garment



March 10, 1942. M. KAHN FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed May 17, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Mach Icahn WITNESSEE ATTORNEYS March 10; 1942. M. KAHN FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed May 17, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR J'IZczclt Mhn IT'NESSEE M M? ATTORNEYS Patentecl Mar. 10, 1942 UNlTED STATES TENT. FFICE FOUNDATION GARMENT Mack Kahn, Cedarhurst, N. Y. Application May 17, 1939, Serial No. 274,130.

1 Claim.

This invention relates to wearing apparel and particularly to foundation garments, an object being. to providea, construction which includes a, corset and a brassire arranged in respect to each other so as to permit a free movement between the upper and lower parts of the body of the garment.

, Another object of the invention is to provide a corset and a brassiere which may or may not be attachedto the upper portion of the corset, the

part of the corset at the front in order to provide a proper covering and molding garmentand,

:atthe same time permitfree bending forwardly and rearwardly. A further object, more specifically,-is to provide a combined corset and brassiere, wherein the brassiere is unattached to the corset atthe front and is arranged with a lower depending panel sliding beneath the upper part of the front of the corset and movable independently of the corset as the upper part of the body of the wearer bends forwardly and rearwardly.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a foundation'garment which includes a corset, and a brassiere with the sides and rear of the corset elastic and with the parts arranged so that the sides will be elastic circumferentially and the rear longitudinally and associated with a brassiere arranged with the front panel slidingly underlapping the front of the corset so that a free and easy movement in any direction of any part of the body is provided, while at the same time a, molding effect of the body of the wearer issecured.

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. l is a perspective View of a foundation garment disclosing an embodiment of the invention, the same being shown on a figure;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side View of the garment shown in Fig. 1 illustrated on a figure and shown with certain parts broken away to better illustrate the construction;

construction being such that part of the brassiere telescopes or underlaps and slides in respect to the position of the respective parts when the person wearing the corset is bending the upper part of the body backwardly.

Referring to, the accompanying drawings by numerals, l indicates a corset body and 2 a brassiere. In forming the corset body I there is provided a rear elastic panel 3, elastic longitudinally of the garment from top to bottom, and front panels 4 and 5 elastic circumferentially. As shown in Fig. 4, there are provided rear side panels 6 and I which are elastic circumferentially. The side panels are connected together and to the rear panel 3 and to the front panel 8, respectively, by suitable lines of stitching. The front panel 8 is non-elastic except for the gore 9 which is elastic circumferentially. The body I is open at 1 ii and this opening may be closed by any suitable disengageable fastener means, as for instance a Zipper fastener ll, whichextends from the top of the garment approximately half way to the, bottom thereof. By this means there is an ample opening to move the corset into correct position on the body. I

It will be observed that from the lower end of the Zipper fastener H to the bottom the corset is continuous and, consequently, in donning the corset the wearer must step into the same and then pull the corset upwardly to the correct position, after which the fastener II is moved to the position shown in Fig. 3. While this is being done the disengageable fasteners I2 of the brassiere 2 are disengaged. After the corset body I has been correctly positioned the fasteners l2 may be engaged and the shoulder straps l3 and M correctly positioned.

While the brassire 2 may be made entirely separate from the corset body, it is preferably connected to the rear upper portions l5 and iii of the corset body, said upper portions extending an appreciable distance above the waistline, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. One side of the brassiere 2 is connected to the portion l6 by suitable lines 5 of stitching and the other side connected to the upper portion l5 by the hooks and eyes or other fasteners l2.

In forming the front 8, the upper edge I! is preferably an appreciable distance above the waistline of the person Wearing the garment and this upper portion or zone l8 overlaps the panel 19 which forms the lower part of the brassiere 2. It will be observed that the brassiere 2 is formed with breast pockets 2E! and 2| but, if desired, shields could be substituted. However, extending downwardly from the pockets 2B and 21 is the 5 panel IQ of material which is elastic circumferentially of the body of the garment. This panel extends an appreciable distance below the edge IT, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. Panel I9 is provided with a stiffening structure whereby it may freely slide upwardly and downwardly within the zone l8 of the front 8. The stiffening structure may consist of one or more stiffening stays 22, as shown in Fig. 4. These stays extend from the pockets 28 and 2| downwardly to the lower edge of the panel L). The panel l9 extends from the upper portion IE to the upper portion I8, with the lower part entirely within or interior of the upper part of the front 8. In case the shoulders or upper part of the body of the wearer is bent forwardly somewhat, the panel I9 will move (slide) downwardly interiorly of the front 8. If the upper part of the body is swung rearwardly,

' as indicated in Fig. l, thepanel 19 will move (slide) upwardly as indicated in Fig. 6.. This panel is of sufficient length to always underlap the upper edge of the front panel 8 so that as the upper and lower parts of the body swung in :respect to each other, there will be a back-and- :forth or telescoping sliding movement between the upper part of the front 8 and the panel Hi. In this way the body is maintained covered and yet may move freely without buckling or bunching any portion of the garment. .This freedom at the front coaots with the freedom produced by the longitudinal elasticity of the rear panel 3 and the respective front and rear side panels so that the person Wearing the garment may move freely and yet be properly confined by the construction. Where the wearer is playing golf or engaged in some other athletic sport, this freedom of movement is important and yet, according to the present invention, means have been provided which will maintain the same confining and molding effect notwithstanding the various movements of the body. When the wearer is standing or sitting down in a more or less upright position the parts will be substantially as shown in Fig. 2. If the wearer is sitting down and the shoulders and upper part of the body are bent forwardly panel [9 will immediately slide further downwardly beneath the front panel 8, and when the wearer moves back to an upright position or stands up the panel will slide back to substantially the position shown in Fig. 2.

I claim:

A combination garment comprising a corset and a brassiere adapted to encircle the body of a person when in use, said brassiere being open on one side from top to bottom and said corset being formed as a step-in structure and formed at one side of the front with an opening extending from the top of the corset to near the hipline thereof, a slide fastener for disengageably securing said opening together, said corset having a stiffened continuous non-elastic front portion adapted to cover the diaphragm and abdomen from a point below the hipline to a point slightly above the waistline, longitudinally extending circumferentially elastic side sections extending from the bottom of the corset to the top of said brassiere, said side sections functioning to mold and somewhat constrict the hips, abdomen and diaphragm, and a longitudinally elastic rear panel extending from the bottom of the garment to a point above the waistline, said brassiere having a pair of breast pockets positioned to support the breasts of the user, stitching for permanently securing one side edge of said brassiere to one side edge of one of said side sections above the .waistline of the garment, a circumferentially elastic panel having its upper edge stitched to the lower edges of said breast pockets and its lower edge slidably fitting beneath the upper end of said front portion, and disengageable fastening means for disengageably securing the edge of said brassiere to one side edge of the other of said side sections above the waist-line of the garment, said fastening means extending from the top of said brassiere to the lower edge of said elastic panel.

MACK KAHN. 

